Show FA P M TOPICS DAIRY BARNS CAN CONTROL DISEASE mangers and the platforms should be kept clean by dr george E taylor extension dairyman rutgers university service the proper type and construction of the manger and standing platform in the dairy barn is important from the standpoint of controlling tuberculosis bangs disease mastitis and other diseases diseases affecting dairy cattle the manger and standing platform should be constructed of cement or some similar impervious material which is easily cleaned and dis infected when necessary the manger should be equipped with individual drinking cups and solid manger partitions between each each cow the feeding manger should be separated from the feed alleyway by means of a front manger cu curb rb high enough to prevent litter from the alleyway getting into the manger proper the organisms causing bangs disease and also tuberculosis gain entrance to the body principally through the mouth and digestive system anything that will prevent or partially eliminate the chances of the animals consuming infected feed or water will be a gi great aid in controlling the spread the spread of tuberculosis is usually greater in herds that are watered by means of common drinking tanks watering animals by means of flooding the manger sever several al times daily is an excellent way of spreading disease in an infected herd likewise feed and litter in the feed alley is apt to become contaminated from the shoes of the herdsman or caretaker in the daily routine of feeding and milking infected herds A manger curb will help eliminate the chances of infected grain and hay being swept back into the manger the standing platform should be wide enough and long enough to prevent udder injury udder injury of any nature should be regarded as a predisposing disposing pre factor to mastitis A solid platform curb six or eight inches high extending from the manger back to the gutter between each stall will tend to control the shifting of infected bedding from one stall to another the organisms causing mastitis gain entrance to the udder through the teat canal any practice e or equipment that tends to eliminate the possibilities of the udder coming in contact with the causative organisms of mastitis will aid in the control of the spread in in a herd |